The United States said on Tuesday it had allowed a Russian plane to fly to Washington to pick up diplomats despite a ban on commercial flights from Russia and demanded “reciprocity” in return, AFP reported.

“The US government has authorized the Russian government to send a chartered flight to the United States to return to Russia Russian diplomats whose mandates have expired,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

He did not give details about the number of diplomats involved.

“In exchange for these permits, we expect Russia to provide our transportation of diplomats and cargo for the embassy in Moscow,” he said.

After the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States banned Russian aircraft from flying in its airspace.

Diplomatic contacts between the United States and Russia remain limited, although channels of communication remain open, including to try to secure the release of American prisoners in Russia.